SINU SIG-students urge gov’t to pay up
By EDDIE OSIFELO
ABOUT 1,055 government-sponsored students at Solomon Islands National University (SINU) are calling on the Ministry of Finance and Treasury to settle their second semester allowances.
The students are under pressure from their landlords and demands to meet their basic needs after semester two resumed early this month.
Each student is supposed to receive a total of $29,720 after tax deduction for the whole semester which runs until January 2021.
As such, Ministry of Finance and Treasury is expected to make a total payout of $31 million to meet the students’ allowances.
One of the students said they found out that their allowances was on invoice stage, awaiting Permanent Secretary, McKinnie Dentana to approve the payment.
“Our allowance is one off payment; therefore, the government should prioritise it compare to students in regional universities.
“We have been waiting for nearly five months now after we spent our first semester allowances to return home during the break,” a student spokesman said.
The student said if things comes to worse, they will ask the government and SINU to allow them to return home.
Reports reaching Island Sun revealed that the government is facing serious cash flow problem, making it difficult to meet its obligation to the students, SINU and even the 500 nurses planning to go on strike today.
Finance Permanent Secretary, Mckinnie Dentana could not comment when contacted on Thursday 29th October.
